Issues Statement Saying Partial Government Shutdown Caused The Delay

The FAA was expected to issue a final rule this month concerning airline pilot training. The NPRM was crafted in part as a response to the accident involving Colgan Air Flight 3407.

But the agency issued a statement Tuesday saying that the release of the final rule has been delayed because of the partial government shutdown, according to television station WKBW in Buffalo.

"Prior to the government shutdown, the FAA planned to issue the pilot training rule in October. However, the employees at the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Office of Management and Budget responsible for finalizing the pilot training rule were furloughed under the shutdown, and the Agency is assessing the shutdown's impact on finalizing the rule," the statement said.

No timeline was given for the release of the rule. The delay was met with disappointment by family members of those who had been aboard Colgan Air Flight 3407, who said they hoped it would only be a few more days, rather than several months.

FMI: www.faa.gov